So this is my junior year of college and I have got to my major classes. I am taking two classes where the teachers have two very different ways of teaching. My math 350 (elementary math) teacher thinks that all teachers should be complete constructivists while my reading 350 (elementary reading) teachers thinks that teachers should be well balanced (a mixture of both constructivism and traditionalism)

So let's talk about constructivism first. Constructivists (also known as nativists) believe that children should learn at their own pace by using hands on activities. Studies show that teaching children how to think is more effective than teaching algorithms. Teachers who are constructivists do not teach but encourage children to explore and think for themselves. Their role as teachers is to construct meaning by translating with the text. They also teach skills that are related to text to give the text meaning.

Traditional teachers(also known as behaviorists) on the other hand believes that a child comes to them as an empty vessel and it is their job to fill them with knowledge. Traditional teachers usually lecture and then give worksheets. They follow the text books completely. They teach children the small parts before teaching the lesson as a whole by using carefully sequenced instruction. They feel that children must be ready to read and uses readiness activities.

I have only been on everyday citizen for about 2 months and it has done one of the most amazing things for me. Through everyday citizen I have been connected with my biological dad whom I have never seen before and my dad's side of the family who I also had never met.

It all started when a cousin that I didn't know googled his last name. As you guys can see my last name is unusual. And he found my blog and sent me an email asking who I was b/c he had never met me before and that last name only belongs to one family. We emailed back and forth for a little bit and he gave me his number so I gave it to my mother. My mother talked to him and he told her that my dad was in Chicago.

Since then, I have had phone conversations with my dad and his relatives.

Walking into work on Monday morning was not the same. It was the same place with the same people but the atmosphere and conversation was not the same. First off let me explain that I work at the Boys and Girls club in Greenville, Tx.

Over the weekend, there had been several shootings (5) and stabbings (2) that left 3 people dead. One of the ones who were killed was an 18 year old male known to the community as KD. He attended the club in his younger years. Now the acts of violence has claimed his life as well as 2 others and has affected the life of many others. The stories behind that pretty much say that he had gotten mixed in with the wrong crowd and lifestyle.

While I was sitting there at work, I was able to see the effects that the weekend events had on the community within the club. I saw some of the kids discussing the events and I also heard my boss talking with the kids about what had happened and trying to convince them to stay on the right track in life.

After witnessing her break down in tears due to the events that had taken place, I began to think myself.

While working with kids for many years, I continue to see the same things over and over again. Parents who don't step up to the plate. I love kids and it breaks my heart to see children without parents (or so to say). Children deserve so much more than what some are getting.

I wish that all parents would make their child look presentable when going out in public. It is a shame when the parent is dressed to impress but the child is walking around without their hair combed, ashy, old clothes that don't fit, too little shoes....

I was listening to the radio a few days ago and they had an open discussion. The topic being discussed was, "Should record companies censor the music of their artists?"

First of all, let me say that I am a firm believer in the fact that music CAN alter your mind so without thought my first response was yes they should because children hear this music and it is slowly corrupting their little minds.

Some children are beginning to look up to the people who (to me) portray negative images and this is personally taking its toll on me. What happened to the people like firemen, police, doctors, and so forth being role models for little children. Has career day been taken away?

What is the deal with all of this?